Ahimsa Summer Institute 2005 lesson plan

By Christian Bracho

1. Title: I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

Grade level Class size Time/Duration 2.

6-12, but can be Any, as long as Six 60-minute
modified for any groups of four can periods
3. grade be created (modifications Sub
must be made ject
depending on :
audience)
English, Social Studies, Music, Religious Studies

4. Goals:
 To have students understand the emotional and spiritual oppression
of slavery in the African-American experience.
 To expose students to various texts by African-Americans and find
common themes relating to bondage, freedom and the urge to
express.
 To introduce students to the concepts of nonviolence, resistance,
and compassion in relation to African-American slavery.
 To make students call upon their own creative and expressive
talents to create a group experience similar to the singing of
African-American spirituals.

Outcomes:
 Students will cross racial and cultural lines to engage an emotional
and spiritual experience that is an important part of American
history.
 Students will develop compassion and reverence for life upon
engaging the various dimensions of the slavery experience in
African-American history.
 Students will understand how creative expression such as song,
poetry or writing is a form of nonviolent resistance, and how
African-Americans modeled nonviolence and compassion in the wake
of slavery.

5. Objectives:
 Students will be able to analyze texts for deeper meaning related to
freedom and oppression- namely, the writings of Frederick Douglass,
“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, the films
Unchained Memories and Beloved, spirituals by various African-
Americans, web resources from negrospirituals.com, and various
images.
 Students will write extensively about slavery, oppression,
compassion and nonviolence.
 Students will perform African-American spirituals after extensive
collaboration with classmates.
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  Students will write reflectively about their learning.

6. Standards from the English 11-12 Language Arts Framework:

Reading 2.4 Make warranted and reasonable assertions about the
author’s arguments by using elements of the text to defend and clarify
interpretations.
Reading 2.5 Analyze an author’s implicit and philosophical assumptions
and beliefs about a subject.
Reading 3.2 Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a
selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to
support the claim.
Reading 3.3 Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the author’s
style, and the “sound” of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic
purposes, or both.
Reading 3.4 Analyze ways in which poets use imagery, personification,
figures of speech, and sounds to evoke readers’ emotions.
Speaking 2.5 Recite poems, selections from speeches… with attention to
performance details to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic effect; to
demonstrate understanding of the meaning.
Writing Applications 2.3 Write reflective compositions.

6. Summary of lesson:
Slavery, as a topic in public education, is rarely studied in-depth, in
spite of its enormous impact on American history, society and culture. The
topic is multi-dimensional, with connections to human rights, civil rights,
spirituality, ethics, economics, literature, art and music. Most students in
American public schools rarely engage slavery beyond a cursory review of
the legal and political aspects of slavery, with little attention paid to its role
in African- American consciousness in the generations since it was abolished.
This mini-unit is intended to explore slavery through a variety of media
and texts, and to allow students to probe the emotional and spiritual
implications of that institution. The privilege most students enjoy is turned
on its head as students come to see the horrible cruelty African-Americans
endured and the numerous ways they “fought back” through nonviolent
resistance, in the form of song, dance, and writing. In doing so they develop
a reverence for life, and for freedom, which many take for granted.
The various activities here can and ought to be modified depending on
the teachers’s audience: some may want to show more of the films; others
may extend the one week unit into a six week exploration of the topic. The
goal is to engage students through many media forms that all send the same
message: the caged bird sings for freedom.

7. Questions to consider: Questions are embedded throughout this unit to

guide students through their exploration of this dense and emotional topic.

8. Materials needed:
a. Print-outs of lyrics and background information from
www.negrospirituals.com, “Follow the Drinking Gourd Teaching
Guide”
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 b. Texts: “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”- poem by Maya Angelou;
Letter from Frederick Douglass to his former master (see references
for web citations).
c. Films: Beloved, Unchained Memories
d. Image: from http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~rhernand/slavery.gif

9. Interdisciplinary approach:
History: the history of African-Americans in the U.S.
Sociology/ Psychology/ Ethics: the psychological impact of slavery; the
sociological components that comprise the enterprise of slavery; the ethical/
legal ideas about slavery during the 19th century.
Science: focusing on the spiritual “Follow on the Drinking Gourd,” show how
slaves developed their own sense of astronomy for the purposes of escape.
Music: Analyze the various forms of spirituals, focusing on specific elements
like call and response, syncopation, and the connection to hymns/ religious
music.

10. Assessments:
a. Performance Rubric for Spiritual
b. Reflective Essay on slavery

11. Instructional Agenda. The agenda for each of five lessons are
described below.

DAY 1- Students should already be in groups of 4 and remain in this

formation for the whole week.
Opening Activity (5 minutes): Students freewrite on the question: “What do you
know about slavery? What have you learned about this topic in school?”

Discussion (5 minutes). Students discuss with each other what they have
written.

Quaker Reading (10 minutes). Explain to students that Quakers, during their
spiritual meetings, would sit in silence and speak whenever they felt the urge. In
this activity, students will first generate a list of words, phrases or ideas they
associate with slavery. That can take 2-3 minutes. Then tell students that once you
start, anyone can speak at any time, reciting the words or ideas they listed.
Students can speak more than once, repeat what others have said, and the activity
will come to a close within 5-7 minutes. This will allow students to get out their
initial ideas and generate a communal experience of sharing deep and emotional
ideas.

Poem (10 minutes). Distribute copies of the poem “I Know Why The Caged Bird
Sings” by Maya Angelou. Read the poem once out loud, and then have students
read it again out loud, either in their groups, or once more for the whole class.
Students should underline or circle main ideas or powerful lines as they read. Have
students discuss as a whole class:
1. What is the overall theme of the poem?
2. How does this poem relate to slavery?
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Historical Connection (20 minutes). Distribute copies of Frederick Douglass’
letter to his former master. It is a long text, so you can choose to have students
read excerpts, jigsaw within their group, or read it as a whole class. As you read
you want to focus on the following questions: Explain that Douglass was a former
slave who ran away, became an educated free man, published his autobiography
and worked his whole life to abolish slavery.
1. Describe the tone of Douglass’ letter. Are you surprised by his tone, or the
language he uses?
2. Explain why Douglass is writing the letter. What are his goals, or
purposes, in writing his master?
3. Summarize the arguments Douglass makes as to why he deserved to be
free and why his former master should give up the practice of owning
slaves.
4. Explain how, by writing this letter, and welcoming his former master to his
own home, Douglass is practicing not only compassion, but also non-
violence, in making a very important point about how human beings ought
to treat one another.

Closing (5 minutes). For homework, explain that students should read the short
analysis of slave spirituals at the website negrospirituals.com. If there is a concern
about students’ ability to access the Internet, the teacher may go to the site and
print out the main page that explains the history of the spirituals and distribute to
the class. Have students copy down the following questions to answer for
homework:
1. What is the connection between African culture and Negro spirituals?
2. How is religious language and imagery used in the songs to symbolize
slavery?
3. What is the emotional tone of the spirituals? What makes them so
powerful?
4. Describe how the songs have been used in the last 150 years as times
have changed for African-Americans.

DAY 2
Opening Activity (10 minutes). Students discuss their homework questions in
their group, or the teacher can lead a whole group discussion.

Media Clips (15 minutes). Have students view the following clips from the film
Beloved:
1. When Baby Suggs is preaching in the forest and tells the children to
laugh, the women to weep, and the men to dance.
2. When Baby Suggs tells the congregation to love their hands.

Discussion (10 minutes). Students should discuss the following questions:

1. Why would freed slaves need to be given permission to laugh, cry, or
dance?
2. Why would Baby Suggs tell the congregation to love their own hands?
3. What is significant about how the slaves sing and dance?
4. How is song and dance connected to freedom in these clips?
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Negro Spirituals (10 minutes). Distribute the page on “Follow the Drinking
Gourd” from the website referenced at the end of this lesson. Walk students
through the explanation of the song’s lyrics- how the song was really a subversive
message telling slaves how to escape to free country.

Group Analysis (5 minutes). Distribute or post the lyrics for “This Little Light of
Mine.” Have students sing the song as a class. Then ask the students to speculate
how the song could have a different meaning for a slave. How would the meaning
change?

Group Performances (5 minutes). Distribute or post the rubric for group

performances of a Negro spiritual. Explain that students will have 2 days to
prepare a performance for the whole class, and that they are welcome to bring in
instruments, props, or any other objects that will contribute to their group’s
performance. For homework, direct students once more to the negrospirituals.com
website, and have them read the materials under the tab entitled SONGS. Students
should summarize:
1. How songs have changed over the years
2. The different ways songs were arranged (e.g. call and response)
3. The religious meaning of the songs

DAY 3
Opening Activity (7 minutes). Have students write on the questions below.
Students may pick one to start with or the teacher may number students off based
on what will be most effective for the group.
1. Should slaves have resorted to violence to break free from slavery ?
2. How can music be used to resist oppression in a non-violent way?
3. What does it mean to be non-violent? Was Douglass non-violent in his
letter to his former master?
4. Were slavemasters “evil”? Is it possible to have compassion for them? Why
or why not?

Discussion (10-15 minutes). The whole class discusses the questions above and
then moves on to discussing the homework from the night before. Great effort
should be made to bring out what it means to resist using non-violent methods and
how music/ expression is a method of resistance.

Visual Connection (20 minutes). Have students view the image of master
whipping a slave (reference at end of lesson). Students should number off in their
groups in this way : 1- Slave; 2- Master; 3- Fellow Slave(s); 4- Other White Man. As
students view, they should consider the following questions:

1. What kinds of violence do you see here?

2. If you are the person or persons in this image, what is going through your
mind as this violence takes place?
3. What is the spiritual or emotional impact of this event on your life if you are
the slave, or master, etc?

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Give students about 5-7 minutes to view and write. Then have students discuss in
groups, comparing the various perspectives of the people in the image. A graphic
organizer such as a table or chart would be helpful here, and can be used a large
chart for a whole group discussion to collect the groups’ ideas.

Person/ Persons Internal Thoughts Lasting Impact

Slave

Slave Master

Other Slaves

Other White Man

Group Practice (remainder of period). Distribute to each group the lyrics of a

different negro spiritual. Have them read it over and begin practicing in class. The
teacher circulates to each group, helping them find a melody for the song.
Although it would be best for the teacher to familiarize him or herself with the
melodies of the songs (most can be listened to by accessing clips from websites like
amazon.com, where one can preview songs on CDs for purchase), students may
select a new melody to make the performance their own.

Homework. Students should analyze their own songs and write a brief summary
explaining how the song has some important message for the slaves who sang it.

DAY 4.
Opeing Activity. (10 minutes). Have students write about the quote: “All men
are brothers. If you harm me, you harm yourself.” After students have had the
chance to write on and discuss whether or not they agree with the message, reveal
that Dr. Martin Luther King said it. How does this change students’ responses?

Media Connection (15 minutes). Play clips from the film Unchained Memories
that show slaves singing spirituals or discussing the importance of them in slaves’
lives. Explain to students that the documentary was created using the actual slave
narratives that journalists collected in the 1930s in an attempt to document the
firsthand experience of slaves. If the teacher can extend the activity, this film
would be very beneficial to show in its entirety (length: approximately 90 minutes).

Group Practice (30 minutes). Encourage students to take what they saw in the
film clips to enhance their group’s performance. As the teacher circulates, s/he
should help students brainstorm props, objects or instruments they can bring in for
the performance. Also, ask students what messages can be found in the lyrics of
their spirituals (per the homework assignment).

Closing. Students should write up what they believe is the underlying message of
their assigned spiritual.

DAY 5
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Media Connection. (10 minutes). Play the clip from Beloved where Sethe gives
birth to her child on the Ohio border with the help of a white woman.

Vocabulary (15 minutes). On the board, write the words: NONVIOLENCE,

COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS. Have students define these words and explain how
they relate to slavery and its lasting impact on all people involved. Ask students to
make specific connections to the letter by Douglass to his master, the clips from
Beloved (especially the one they just watched), Angelou’s poem, Dr. King’s quote
and the spirituals they have been studying.

Group Practice (25 minutes). Remind students to look at the rubric that will be
used as students perform, and explain that the teacher will ask students to explain
the song’s meaning after their performances.

DAY 6
Practice (10 minutes). Students will need time to practice their spirituals before
performing.

Performances (30 minutes). Given the short length of the songs, this should be
sufficient time to have students perform, be quizzed on meaning before the class,
and be scored on the rubric.

Reflection. Guide students to reflect on what they learned/ experienced over the
last week. This should be a whole-group discussion, capitalizing on the communal
feeling generated by the performances. Give the prompt below as a writing
assignment. The length of the composition, as well as the time allotted to write,
should be decided at the teacher’s discretion.

WHY DOES THE CAGED BIRD SING?

In the last week you have learned about the experiences of African-American
slaves. Using your notes and memories from each day’s lesson, write a reflective
essay in which you: 1) summarize your prior/initial thoughts on slavery; 2) describe
specific moments throughout the week that impacted you in some way, explaining
how you grew through the process; 3) explain what you learned about nonviolent
resistance. Your essay should specifically address not only why spirituals were an
effective form of spiritual resistance for slaves, but continue to have political
meaning for African- Americans after slavery was abolished.

Extension Activities

Choice Activity. Have students think about a time they were either victims of
some violence, bystanders to violence, or tried to resist violence in a nonviolent
way. Students can create a visual interpretation of the experience, write a poem or
song about it, write it as a short scene to be performed, etc. The teacher can opt to
have students submit these or share with the class.

Found Poems. Have students review their writing throughout this unit and create
a “found poem” where they take bits and pieces of their own writing to construct a

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poem (or some other form of performance). The teacher may want to create a
found poem from the students’ final essays.

References of all sources

Films
Beloved. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Oprah Winfrey, Thandie Newton, Kimberly
Elise, Danny Glover. Touchstone Pictures, 1998.
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. Dir. Edward Bell. Perf.
Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Oprah Winfrey. HBO Productions,
2003.

Internet Sources
Angelou, Maya. “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge.
2005. 01 March 2006. <http://www.ctadams.com/mayaangelou5.html>
Holt, Geoff. “Follow the Drinking Gourd Teacher’s Guide.” New Jersey State
Museum Planetarium. Last updated September 7, 2004. 10 March 2006.
<http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdg1.htm>
Spiritual Workshop. “Official Site of Negro Spirituals.” 1999. 01 March 2006.
<http://www.negrospirituals.com>

NEGRO SPIRITUALS
RUBRIC
Teacher: As students perform, circle/ highlight elements of each section.
Consider this a 4 point scale with Soaring Songbirds as 4 and Still In
Captivity as a 1.

Soaring Songbirds!!! 
 Memorization of song
 Everyone participates in singing
 Use of percussion and/or other instruments
 Clearly models a feature common in Negro spirituals. For
example: a shout ring, call and response, harmony, moan and
groan.
 Uses full body to express self
 Group’s practice clearly evidenced

Emerging from Cage!!

 Memorization of song, with only a few lapses.
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 Most people actively singing
 Use of some percussion or instruments but could be better
integrated
 Loosely attempts to model a feature commonly used in Negro
spirituals
 Use only part of the body to express self
 Could benefit from more practice

Trying to free yourself!

 Needs visual clues for words of songs
 Limited participation by some group members
 Limited use of percussion/or instruments
 No attempt to use features of negro spirituals
 Not everyone uses body to express self
 Needs more practice

Still in captivity and no escape in sight! 

 Sing only
 No instruments or percussion
 No evidence of practice
 Not a group effort
 Too short (Under 1 min)

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